Maiden of the Swans
by godessexotica
Summary: someone has to prove their everlasting love to save Amia, but has someone already proved their love to her?first fanfic! plz read, it's my own story but it's like a different version of The Swan Princess.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: this is my first fanfic. i have been reading heaps of other ones and now i finally did one. this was just a random idea that came into my head. it's my own story but it kinda is a different version of 'The Swan Princess'

disclaimer: all characters and plots in this story are mine!

please r&r i dnt care if u don't like it or if u never wanna read it again, just review! ok, here it is...

**Ch.1:** Long Time Friends

Prince Raymond became the King of Burada when he was just eighteen years old. The people of his kingdom all thought this was too young for their much loved prince, but in order to take the throne as was his fathers wish, the new king grew up and matured fast, faster then most young men at his age. He was a wise and fair king, and his people loved him, though, they said, it was sad for him to have the last years of his youth taken away from him like that.

On his coronation day, the young prince stood behind the raised platform on which the ceremony was to take place. The whole city of Buradell, his country's capital, was there to celebrate and bear witness to their new king.

He was nervous.

The young prince had short, light brown, wavy hair and deep, chestnut brown eyes that used to sparkle in the years of his early youth. The past few years had taken the sparkle out of him, what with his mother's death, war with their neighbouring country and then his beloved father's death too. Now his eyes seemed duller, but he still went on, prepared to be the best king he could be for the country he loved.

He paced back and forward.

"If I didn't know already, I'd say you look like your getting married."

Raymond turned, startled, in the direction of the voice. The owner of it was a man of medium height with dark, curly hair and deep, moss green eyes.

The two men looked at each other, each taking the other in. then they grinned, strode towards each other and clasped hands in a brief, one-armed hug.

"Damien, long time no see! I thought you'd forgotten your old pal," Raymond said as they broke apart.

At the same time, Damien stepped back and said; "Ray- look at you. I've been gone three years and you look ready to take over the world."

"Nah, just the kingdom," Ray responded, more solemn. Damien caught on.

"I heard. Seems everything has been happening since I left, huh? Well, I'm here for you, just like old times," he told the young prince, trying to be sincere.

Ray raised his eyebrows.

"'Just like old times' he says. When you always left me to be the one getting in trouble? Damien, I can't wait," he told him sarcastically.

Damien shrugged it aside laughing.

On the other side of the screen, the coronation began and their reunion was cut short.

"I've got a whole country to run. We'll talk tonight, you can tell me about the monastery. Come to the celebrations after this, too. See you," and with that, the young prince walked into his new kingship.

As he stepped out onto the raised platform, becoming king didn't seem so bad. His oldest friend was back, and so was some of the sparkle in his eye.

That night, after the coronation, after the first political royal court held by the new king and after the celebratory feast, Ray and Damien were talking in Ray's old nursery, where they had spent many years together in their early childhood. It was one in the morning.

"So the monastery thing didn't work out huh? What have you been doing all these years? Where have you _been?" _Ray asked, stretching out on a low lounge, tired.

"What makes you think I'm not a monk?" Damien asked, amused. His friend could still read him so well.

"The women," Ray replied smirking.

"Well for that reason, becoming a monk was never my thing. Besides, there is another more useful art of power," Damien told him, becoming more serious.

Ray sat up, eyeing Damien wearily. _This doesn't sound good._

Damien looked into Ray's eyes, and Ray suddenly noticed how dark they had become. Maybe it was just the shadow of the night, but the King couldn't stop the voice in his mind that whispered; _Damien is wearing all black._

"I set out three years ago but I never went to the monastery," Damien's voice was growing chillingly softer. "I met a black mage. He showed me things Ray. Things of beauty… strength and power, Ray- you couldn't imagine. He taught me, his arts, his powers, and I've learned so much."

Damien strode over to where the new king was now standing and looked into his eyes, searching.

Light brown orbs clashed with dark, emerald ones. Both were set, hard, standing firm.

"We could do so much," Damien whispered.

"Damien, stay away from those arts," Ray said quietly.

"With you a king, ruling the country, and me as a mage, side by side," Damien continued, staring up into Ray's eyes.

"That magic is evil, get out of it," Ray's voice was growing louder to match Damien's.

"We could rule the world," Damien said, his voice taking on an insane edge.

"No."

Ray's voice was quiet and after he spoke there was a strange stillness. They were both quiet, Ray, the taller one, looking down at Damien. The only noise was the hissing, crackling fire.

"Think of the power," Damien said softly.

"Never. It's evil, filthy, black mages are cold, heartless. I won't have them in my kingdom. Get out Damian," ray ordered strongly.

"The world would be ours," Damien hissed.

"I don't want it," the new King told him. "Now leave, and never come back. Should you ever be seen in my kingdom, you shall be seeing your death," Ray said softly.

Damien backed away from him, staring coldly at his old friend, calculating. He stopped in front of the open window, his black frame silhouetted against the night sky.

"I will have the world," Damien whispered. "And I'll start with your kingdom. When you have everything to lose and nothing more to gain, Burada will be mine. I will have the world."

And with his last words ringing in Ray's ears, the black mage turned and leapt out the window, vanishing into the black night.

The new king stared out into the night. It had been a long day. He would have to have it known that there was a black mage in the kingdom. Suddenly, the young king seemed much older.

King Raymond put the whole kingdom on it's guard for black mages. He ended all wars and made peace with all surrounding countries and Burada's marketing was going so well, Burada was soon the wealthiest most prosperous country it could be.

He met and fell in love with an exotic noblewoman from many countries north. She was an olive skinned beauty with dark hair and darker eyes, and when he was twenty and she nineteen, they married.

A year later the queen gave birth to their first and only heir, princess Kamianita. The queen died in child birth. Still, the king went on and raised his daughter, who grew up very close to him, and she put the little light back in his eyes.

King Raymond loved his daughter and his country, and all was well.

The story starts eighteen years after Damien's banishment.

A/N: so what do you think? obviously if no one read this i will just be talking to myself right now :) please review!


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: **second chappie! this was the first bit i wrote but i rewrote it cos i didn't like it and i still don't like it really... but hey, who's perfect? anyway, thank you so much to my reviewers :)

**Brat is a Rose**: thank you so much, it's not fully like the swan princess just based on it but i hope you like the rest of the story

**EvenSong: **hey i loved Catch Me, great story! thnx for reveiwing and for the advice, i'll try to keep it in mind. i was actually trying to make it less descriptive cos at school i spend was too long describing everything :) i love long names with lots of vowels too..i usually spend ages tryin to think up good ones, but they're nevaany good.

**Glaze:** thnx for the review, i was trying to start the plot and i love prince, plz update soon

**Masked Dragonfly 0926: **i kno wat you mean, i thought no-one would reveiw or read it, i'm so glad you like it, thank you so, so much :) idecided to check out one of your stories, New Opportunitiesi rlly like your style!

ok, so thank you so much for reviewing guys, eternally greatful. hope you like this chapter and plz, plz review

**Ch.2:** The Lord, the Princess and the Kings

The young girl leaned over the cliff face, the wind sending her long, honey brown curls into the air before whipping back around her face again.

"Caden! Get back up here now!" she yelled angrily. "That's not funny Caden; I'm not coming down there to get you."

Down bellow, a dark haired boy lay face down on the rocks while the waves from the sparkling green-blue sea crashed ever closer.

"By the Gods Caden, if you don't come up here now, the sea can take you, cause there is no way I'm coming down there to get you!" The girl yelled, her usually light filled eyes now dark as the slippery, wet rocks below in her fury.

Still, the waves foamed over the rock outcrop, flooding everything and stopping only a foot or so under the rocky ledge on which the young man still lay motionless, as though the girl on the cliff above him was not shouting death threats to him.

"Damn it Caden! I'm gonna kill you," she hissed as the waves crept up, trickling water onto Caden's little platform.

She bunched her legs underneath her and bent low to the ground, then she leapt off the cliff, the wind buffeting against her body and she landed with practised ease on the big, flat rock just above Caden's head. Biting her lip, she slid off onto the platform and knelt down behind him, her back pressing up against the rocky cliff.

"Caden?" her voice softer, unsure. _He couldn't actually be hurt this time could he?_

They had been mucking around on top of the cliff in a mock fight, she had for once bested him and he fell backwards. But they had always been able to jump down off the cliff safely before…

She reached out and rolled him over so he was on his side facing her.

And Caden burst out laughing.

"You should have seen your face, Amia. Did you actually think I was hurt? I'm flattered," he grinned mockingly up at her, still lying down.

Amia stood up, angrily looking down at him.

"Hoped you were hurt is more like it," she retorted, infuriated that he had got the better of her. "I'll get you back for that, my fathers gonna kill me, we're so late," she groaned, climbing back onto the big rock above where Caden had been lying.

Her clear amber orbs moved out to sea and sparkled, as though catching the sea's glitter in her eyes.

"Caden, don't move," she ordered, her voice serious with an almost concerned edge to it.

"What makes you think-" Caden started sitting up, but his words were drowned out as a wave came racing in, swirling over him, before receding to the ocean, leaving Caden spluttering and drenched.

"Why couldn't I move?" he demanded, standing up now and glaring up into her face.

"Because there was a wave coming and it got you soaked," she laughed from her perch on the rock above him.

Caden reached up suddenly, and grabbed her around the waist. Laughing, he picked her up hand held her, shrieking, to him while he waded out to meet the next wave as it came in, splashing up around them and bubbling over past them. Soaking wet, she clung to him, her eyes tight shut as the wave poured around them.

When the wave rushed back to sea, they were left standing in a waist high rock pool.

"Not funny Caden," she said, smiling despite her words as he set her down laughing, one arm still around her.

She pushed him away and splashed water at him, before climbing out of the rock pool and up the cliff face.

Caden wiped the water away from his eyes and climbed after her, her bubbling laugh filling the air, over the music of the sea.

They were at the top of the cliff in seconds, and tore off, one after the other across the sloping fields to the castle, their laughter floating on the wind.

Only moments later they burst through a door to one of the kitchens, breathless and still dripping wet.

All the servants and cooks stopped and turned to stare at the bedraggled teenagers.

Amia giggled as Caden pushed her forwards and through a door on their right which led to a flight of stairs. They were off up the stairs before the door even snapped shut.

Seven flights up the stairs they stopped and cracked up in fits of laughter.

"They're still not used to us," Amia gasped, leaning against the wall.

"At least Latifa wasn't there," Caden said, opening a door that was actually the opening of a secret passage from the Hall of Portraits. "That time she caught us stealing food from the kitchens, she chased me around the entire castle, I spent 3 hours hiding from her."

"At least you didn't have to deal with y father," Amia said, stepping out past Caden into the Hall of Portraits. "My father is worse than three of her," she said, rolling her eyes.

"Amia!"

She froze at the sound of the deep rumbling voice behind her, and, turning around, she saw the king of Burada striding towards her down the Hall of Portraits, followed by a tall, dark young man she didn't recognise.

"Dad!" she said brightly, smiling charmingly and hoping he hadn't just heard her, while Caden sniggered behind her back.

The king stopped in front of his daughter and Caden, and turned to the young man who stopped next to him.

"This is King Andronicus of the North Isles," he introduced the young king. "And this is my daughter, Princess Kamianita," He continued.

Amia looked up into the young king's face, his strong features. The way he looked at her through his dark, black diamond eyes made her suddenly conscious of her still damp dress clinging to the every curve of her body and the seaweed entwined in her hair and hanging off her shoulder.

She dropped her gaze and curtsied low, studying the carpet while her lilting voice rang out, "Your Highness, charmed."

Andronicus took her hand and pulled her upright. He stepped in closer and brought her fingers to his lips.

"Please, Princess. Andronicus," and smiling, he brushed his lips over the back of her hand.

She studied his face, her own a mask devoid of emotion. He was dark with strong, angular features and very attractive, especially when he smiled. She noticed how warm his soft lips were against her skin.

Whether her father noticed the tension between them or not, he continued the introductions, turning to Caden.

"This is Caden, son of the High Sorcerer Comino and Baroness Elainke," Caden stepped forward and bowed, some seaweed dropping onto the carpet.

Amia giggled and Caden smiled sheepishly. King Andronicus laughed, stepping forward to shake Caden's hand.

"I hear you are a skilled fighter," he said.

Caden grinned, "One of the best."

"We'll see," Andronicus said smirking. "We could practise sometime together." He suggested.

"Of course, I would be honoured to teach you a few things," Caden said mockingly in practised 'court talk,' and bowing once again.

The older king stepped forward. "The feast is starting," he stated. "I suggest you two change into something dry and seaweed free, you will be pardoned for your inevitable lateness," he informed them, a twinkle in his old, cocoa eyes, much like the one that always lit Amia's big, round orbs.

"Thank you King Raymond," Caden said bowing. "King Andronicus, Princess Kamianita," he winked at Amia before taking his leave.

Amia's gaze turned once more to Andronicus. His dark eyes lingered on her softly curling, seaweed ridden hair, and her exotic, olive skinned face. Completely oblivious to it, she looked like a Goddess of the sea, despite her bare feet and waterlogged appearance.

"I will see you at the feast," she said smoothly and with a small smile she turned and ran to her royal bedchambers, two more floors up.

When she arrived, there was already a bath waiting and a dress laid out on the bed. She smiled, and motioned a maid forward to come help her.

**A/N: **so, this chapter was really just to introduce the characters, and lay out the foundations of their relationships. if you liked it great, if you didn't, good for you just review and tell me. how bad would it be if you had a story and no one reviewed at all? LOL i think thats funny, not in an insulting way, but funny hehe


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